An online article has a beginning (introduction), middle (main point and sub-points) and end (conclusion), and I suggest an average length of 500 words. In fact, some article directories such as Biznik require a minimum of 500 words.

Just keep in mind that when people are reading online, it takes more effort to scroll through and absorb longer pieces. For content marketing purposes, you're better off dividing longer articles up into parts – the bonus is that you multiply your output!

All articles can be blog posts, but not all blog posts will be articles.

You can post these articles on your blog as what I call "core content," which delivers valuable information that your ideal clients are already searching for.

Some blog posts are less structured than that, though, such as an announcement, a comment about something you've read online, or a brief tidbit of information. I call these ">connecting posts, and 250 words may be plenty for these.

Of course these word counts are just suggested guidelines. Each individual piece will vary and you will match your own personal writing style with the feedback from your readers.

Other than length, what may differentiate a blog post from an article is that a blog post includes narrative comments – personal stories, opinions, examples, observations and details. So you're not only presenting facts about a topic, you're presenting the topic in a personal way with your own comments.

That being said, I actually encourage you to bring your point of view into every type of content that you write. If you decide to submit your article to a directory or use it as a marketing tool, you can always revise it to focus more on the facts, turning it into a straight "how to" post.

A peek behind the scenes

Aside from sharing valuable information and tips, a blog is also a great place to bring more of your personality into your business communications. You can give the reader a peek behind the scenes of your business activities, and you may even choose to share details about your life outside of work. I've certainly done that by sharing about my two dogs, Chyna and Patch.

Blogging is not a license to ramble

Even when your blog posts are shorter and more informal, be sure that each blog post is still making one clear point. A business blog is not the place for an aimless rant or random ramblings.

Before you publish anything to your blog, ask, "What's the point of this post?" and, "Is that point important to my ideal client?"

This blog post was adapted from Write Your Way to More Clients Online by Linda Dessau (Part Two: Write Artfully), and originally appeared on the Wellness Blogs website at >http://getwellnessblogs.com/difference.